This week, Roxanne Quimby, the founder of Burt's Bees, announced her plan to donate more than 70,000 woodland acres that she owns in Maine to the federal government to create a Maine Woods National Park—the first large national park created in over 20 years. How amazing is that?

I use Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Daily Moisturizing Lotion every night, and I've always liked supporting an eco-company that uses natural ingredients—but this takes "giving back" to another level. I'm always more willing to buy a product when its makers have values I support, including not testing on animals, using recyclable packaging and natural ingredients, and donating part of proceeds to a non-profit organization. All of that is to say that I'm happy to support a company that creates national parks, and I'll be trying more Burt's Bees products in the next few weeks. How about you?

Do you care about cosmetics companies giving back or is it a non-issue for you?

Maybe the reason I'm such a fan of "green" beauty products is because I grew up with Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap, that olive oil-based hippie favorite, and the all-natural toothpastes and deodorants from Tom's of Maine. The downside to eco beauty products is that sometimes they are more expensive, harder to find, or less effective than their commercial counterparts. For example, I use a natural deodorant in the winter (Jason Apricot Deodorant Stick smells so good, I don't even need to wear perfume), but for summer heat, I switch to an aluminum-based antiperspirant. The organic product I'm most vigilant about is lip balm. That's because I apply it constantly, maybe a dozen times a day, and that stat about the average woman consuming pounds of lipstick in her lifetime has stuck with me: I prefer a slow trickle of coconut oil over the years than a regular infusion of petrolatum. And because I always wear nail polish (I'm a former nail-biter), I only use polishes that don't contain formaldehyde, such as the ones from CND, OPI, and Butter. That said, none of my hair products are "green." Do you mix organic beauty products into your routine, and if so, which are the most important to you?

While environmentally-friendly products have come a long way from the stuff you'd equate with granola-crunching hippies, there's some major news that seems to make the idea of a greener beauty routine more of a new way of life and less of a fad. Procter & Gamble (the company that owns brands like Pantene and CoverGirl) recently announced they'll start changing some of their beauty packaging to sugarcane-derived plastics—a renewable resource, unlike the petroleum-based plastics that are typically used—beginning on 2011. So instead of having to seek out more niche (and sometimes, more expensive) products to reduce your carbon footprint, now you'll be able to do it just by picking up some of your old drugstore favorites.

Multitasking may be valued at work, but when it comes to our beauty routine we typically prefer products that stick to one task. That's why we were surprised to fall in love with Revolution Organics's All-Over Body Balm, a citrus-scented salve that promises to tackle a whopping 22 different things. It's disparate uses include: softening rough spots and cuticles, acting as a hair pomade, and even priming skin for makeup. We tested out the USDA-certified organic formula, and it really did leave our cuticles and heels feeling softer and even gave the ends of our hair a subtly piecey (not greasy) look. It's packed with skin-soothing ingredients like vitamin E and moisturizers like shea butter to get the job done, but it's so light that we wouldn't mind rubbing it on our feet or face—although definitely not in that order.

Even if you've stopped tossing disposable bottles, drink from a Sigg, and carry a tote or a Baggu everywhere, you may be thinking beauty this Earth Day. And you should: According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, everyday packaging accounts for 1/3 of landfill waste. One way to reduce your contribution is the Return to Origins Recycling Program. You can take the empty packaging (boxes, tubes, jars, whatever) from any cosmetic, regardless of the brand, to any of Origins's participating stores or department store counters to recycle. Bonus: do it tomorrow, and you'll get a full-size cleanser of your choice, Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash or A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser With White Tea. Your reward for doing good!

There are more and more great organic beauty products every day, it seems—but the labels can be confusing. Some claim to be green, others organic, and then there are those that are just labeled "all natural." Now the Consumers Union, the influential watchdog group that publishes Consumer Reports,has petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to do away with the widespread use of misleading labels. Unlike organic food, which is closely regulated, there are few guidelines for how shampoo or lotion or lipstick labels can make use of terms like "organic." In some cases, just a small fraction of their ingredients are actually organic. What do you think—should the federal government take a closer look at this issue?

Doesn't everyone have one of those friends who acts holier-than-thou because she drives a Prius, exclusively shops at Whole Foods, and uses sodium lauryl sulfate-free shampoo, even on her dog? There's a reason for that, and it's called The Green Halo Effect. A new study from University of Toronto (being published in upcoming issue of Psychological Science) showed that when people bought $25 worth of eco-friendly products, they were more likely to cheat, lie, and steal than people who spent $25 on non-eco products. Basically, the researchers trace that to The Green Halo Effect, meaning that when people do something objectively good by buying eco-friendly stuff, they think they've earned moral credit—and have the right to transgress in other areas. What about you—are you guilty of this kind of behavior?

Whitney Port has already mastered The Hills, The City, and the art of dramatic facial expressions—now she’s setting her sights on lipstick. Seems our girl, last seen interning at DVF and bickering with Jay, designed a signature shade of lipstick with Cargo. The bright pink color is called Eve Pinky (Eve is Whitney's middle name), and is part of Cargo’s Plant Love collection, which means it’s 100 percent natural and ECOCERT certified. (Who knew Whit was so crunchy?!) But perhaps best of all, the brand will donate $2 from every tube to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Nice! The shade is already sold out, but don't worry, it's only temporary—we hear from Sephora that it will be available again in two weeks.

Alicia Silverstone famously changed her life years ago to be as green as possible, but now she's giving the same overhaul to her makeup bag. She's partnered with EcoTools to create a line of bags and brushes, launching in December, made out of natural hemp, recycled PET, and non-toxic inks. (They're also decorated with an artist's rendition of cosmos, lavender, and roses, Silverstone's favorite flowers.) At the bags' product launch on Friday, we asked Silverstone what she must always pack in them:

Ecco Bella and ZuZu Luxe concealer sticks. "I like to use the Ecco Bella right under my eyes and then the ZuZu Luxe for blemishes. I'll finish it off with Bare Minerals or La Bella Donna loose powder, and I'm done."

In honor of Earth Day, we decided to explain what some of the different organic and natural certifications you may see on your beauty products actually mean. (One recent press release from John Masters Organics alone included five or six!) Why it's so hard: Many of the seals mean the same thing (they have to comply with the same standards), they're just dispensed by different agencies. (Um, plus, a lot of people don't even know what the seals mean in the first place.) With the help of the organizations, the knowledgeable John Masters himself, and of course, the Internet, we sort out what you need to know:

NOP: National Organic Program. These are the people within the USDA who set and regulate the USDA standards. All legit accrediting agencies (see below) must follow their rules. (On a product package, however, you wouldn't see an NOP seal, just the USDA one.)

NSF: National Sanitation Foundation (yes, there's such a thing). If your product says, "NSF Made With Organic," that means it has at least 70 percent organic ingredients. (In other words, not quite enough to get the USDA seal.)

QAI: Quality Assurance International. This is one of the groups that can hand out that NSF seal. It's also the largest organic certifier for some other categories, like food. So when you see a product with both QAI and NSF seals, it means, again, at least 70 percent organic ingredients.

CCOF: California Certified Organic Farmers. This is one example (there are tons of them) of another independent certifying company that makes sure farmers comply with the NOP. You might see the CCOF seal along with the USDA seal.

If this hasn't confused (or, on the bright side, enlightened) you enough, listen to this: First, each organic ingredient in a product needs to be certified organic by the grower. "So our provider for organic jojoba oil, for instance, could employ the services of CCOF or QAI or hundreds of others to come to their farm and do all the work needed to certify just that one ingredient," says Masters. The final product can then be certified by a USDA-accredited agency to get their seal if it qualifies.

So we don't blame you if these acronyms are enough to MYGI—make you go insane.